Don't Screen Out the Best

In today's "share everything" world, negativity travels fast. Like it or not, technology and social media's influence have exploded and continue to shape individual companies' employment brands. As users take their opinions to their keyboard, smartphone and tablet screen, what someone says about your company matters.

A job seeker's first experience with your company is often when they apply. Combine social media with today's hyper-sensitive employment world and you can imagine the potential cost of souring a job seeker's online application experience.

Abandonment Trend

With more people going mobile as well as searching, browsing and interacting on multiple types of devices, the interface is not always as simple as it was meant to be. In fact, one industry study cited that 75 percent of candidates have actively abandoned a job application process because they found it either too complicated, too cumbersome, or simply too frustrating.

It's understandable. Most have likely already created a profile, either on LinkedIn, Facebook, or through a job board. Why should they have to provide the same information over again?

A recent JobsInTheUS.com poll yielded similar results. Using our various social media outlets, we found that 87 percent of participants had abandoned an online employment application for one reason or another.

Screening Out the Qualified

Think about it, if you're unemployed or desperately looking for a change, you're more likely to jump through however many hoops a potential employer may lay in front of you, qualified or not. But what if you're already employed? What if you're confident that your skills are in demand by a number of employers? Are you more likely to wade through a complicated process? The evidence shows that many job seekers are saying "No."

Unemployment is high. Aside from a possible lack of local talent, could there be another reason why you're not getting enough skilled, qualified, ready-to-work job applicants? What if the candidates you're looking for simply don't want to go through your process because it's too difficult?

An Exercise

Try it out for yourself and apply to one of your company's own jobs. Put yourself in a job seeker's shoes. Follow your online application process from beginning through to completion. How long did it take? Did you feel like you were providing information that didn't seem necessary at such an early stage? Try applying via a smart phone or tablet. Is the process as seamless as it appeared from your office desktop?

Stay Tuned In

In today's evolving world of work, it will be ever more important to continually monitor the experience of candidates navigating your employment process. Make it easy for the people you're looking for to find your employment opportunities and apply to your open positions. By doing this, you will not only shorten your hiring cycle, but also improve your brand reputation... and your company's bottom line.

In his dual role of Sales Manager/Business Development at JobsInTheUS.com, if Jeremy Haskell isn't busy developing new business partnerships and product initiatives, he's developing sales people. Working with companies, he advises them on recruiting strategies that result in reduced turnover and increased productivity. He holds a degree in psychology from Syracuse University and previously worked as a recruiter for Robert Half International. Jeremy is the recipient of many recognition awards and has developed and facilitated the company's peer mentoring program.